Photo credit: airport-technology.com

The Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft landed at approximately 12:05 pm to applause and cheers from the welcome party, headed by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Dr Wykeham McNeil.

The Canadian carrier, which also flies from Toronto to Sangster International in Montego Bay, will now have three weekly flights to Kingston on Monday, Friday and Saturday, making it a total of 10 weekly flights to both airports.

The minister, in his address at the brief welcome ceremony, noted that the entrance of WestJet into Kingston represents another step towards re-branding and building the capital city as a prime tourist destination.

“One of the very encouraging things about this flight is the fact that onboard the plane are travel agents, who will be doing a familiarisation trip and looking at Kingston, Port Antonio and Ocho Rios and what possibilities exist in opening up those markets,” he said.

McNeil noted that WestJet is “a very important carrier” to Jamaica, with as many as 27 flights into the island during the winter tourist season.

“WestJet is a tried and tested partner for us in the Ministry of Tourism. We look forward to a long and strong partnership,” he said.

Minister without portfolio for Transport, Works and Housing, Dr Morias Guy, pointed out that despite global economic challenges, flights between Toronto and Kingston have been growing in recent years.

“This growth was again demonstrated in the last quarter, January to March 2012, when the route saw an increase of over five per cent over the same period last year and there are strong indications that this trend will continue,” he said.

Guy noted that the decision by WestJet to flight to Kingston comes at a time when Jamaica will be welcoming overseas nationals and visitors for the 50th year of independence celebrations.

“This new route also signals the building of better connectivity between the two cities, and an expansion of opportunities for Jamaicans living in Canada to return home in a convenient manner and time, and to partner with us in building this great nation,” he said.

Mayor of Kingston and St Andrew, Councillor Angela Brown-Burke, also welcomed WestJet into Kingston, noting that the airline will not only bring nationals home for ‘Jamaica 50’ but also for the City of Kingston’s 140th anniversary events.

Acting vice-president, guest services, WestJet, Mark Brown said the airline’s culture is “a very perfect match for the warm and caring culture of the Jamaican people”.

“When people ask me why they should travel to Jamaica, I tell them ‘well the beaches of course, and the tourism events, but to me, what’s more important is the people’,” he remarked. He noted that there are indeed many countries with beautiful beaches and great tourist attractions “but the people, the smiles, the warmth is what sets Jamaica apart”.

Brown said that, as Kingston becomes WestJet’s 72nd destination, he looks forward to great successes and a long lasting relationship.

By Athaliah Reynolds-Baker
Caribbean News Now

According to reports, the pilots are now being offered contracts directly with Caribbean Airlines.

This comes as CAL closed a Kingston, Jamaica subsidiary company, Caribal Limited, which saw the affected pilots operating Air Jamaica aircraft out of that country.

According to reports, the pilots are now being offered contracts directly with CAL. A release pointed out that the new contracts will see all benefits remaining unchanged.

CAL has also given the Jamaican Airline Pilots Association, the assurance that the pilots’ employment with the airline will see a smooth and seamless transition using a transparent process to ensure smooth and seamless transition.

It is unclear at this time as to if all 75 pilots would accept the new contracts.

Caribbean 360 News

TRINIDAD-OWNED Caribbean Airlines (CAL) yesterday announced that the positions of all pilots represented by the Jamaican Airline Pilots’ Association (JALPA) will be made redundant next month — a move one major trade union is likening to union busting.

Of the 75 JALPA members, 64 are currently employed to CAL, which also operates Air Jamaica, following a deal in 2009 for the sale of the Lovebird to the Trinidad Government.

In a statement released to the media, CAL said the Kingston-based pilots were yesterday morning advised by representatives of CAL and their subsidiary CARIBAL Ltd that their positions would be made redundant in May 2012.

The statement, however, provided no further details.

But in a letter from CAL’s vice-president of human resources Charmaine Heslop-DaCosta to JALPA, which was obtained by the Jamaica Observer, the carrier informed them that all pilots other than those employed to CARIBAL are represented by Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots’ Association (TTALPA).

“As you are aware, all pilots, as defined in your claim, other than those employed to CARIBAL, are represented by TTALPA as demonstrated by certificate of recognition from the Recognition Board in Trinidad and Tobago as the trade union for the pilots employed by CAL dated 30th November 2009,” Heslop-DaCosta’s letter said.

The letter informed further that negotiations between CAL and TTALPA have commenced and once concluded will establish the terms and conditions of employment of all pilots employed by CAL.

Yesterday, Senator Kavan Gayle, head of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, said this should not be allowed to happen.

“This can be categorised as union busting in order to break up JALPA as the trade union representing Jamaican pilots,” he told the Observer.

He questioned how Jamaican pilots employed by CAL could be represented by a Trinidad-based association, noting that neither Jamaican laws nor any legislation in Trinidad and Tobago would allow that.

Gayle’s point was supported by a JALPA source who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Our legal advice is that that can’t work,” he said.

Gayle said also of great concern is what will now happen with a dispute currently before the Industrial Disputes Tribunal with JALPA members operating under CARIBAL.

“What Cal is seeking to do is to make these pilots (positions) redundant and offer them new terms and conditions for which they have to attend interviews to determine who will be rehired,” he said.

But according to Gayle, the JALPA members are resisting this as they believe the transition should be seamless.

“CARIBAL being a subsidiary must be knowledgeable and cognisant of the performances of all these pilots, and so there should be no reason they should undergo another interview for employment,” Gayle said. “It is unfair that they should undergo this type of treatment.”

As such, he said, JALPA has requested a meeting with CAL’s management in a bid to resolve the matter.

The JALPA source said the association will be meeting to devise a strategy going forward as it is expected that at least 15 per cent of its members may lose their jobs with the airline.

Jamaica Observer

Decorated in vibrant colours depicting the seabed, Pinar del Río bears a design by famed Spanish fashion designer, Custo Barcelona.

Baleària Bahamas Express, owned by Spanish ferry operator Baleària and the Capo group, has introduced the ferry service through the operation of the high-speed vessel christened ‘Pinar del Rio’, which now plies its route daily, except Wednesday, between Fort Lauderdale and Grand Bahama.

The Baleària Bahamas Express can transport a maximum of 463 passengers each way, and its owners are touting it as “an appealing alternative to air travel”. Travelling at 32 knots, the vessel can make the 76-mile crossing in just two-and-a-half hours.

The daily schedule sees the ferry departing from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades Terminal One at 10 am bound and arriving in Freeport Harbour at 12:30 pm. The return trip departs at 7:30 pm and arrives in Fort Lauderdale at 10 p.m.

Decorated in vibrant colours depicting the seabed, Pinar del Río bears a design by famed Spanish fashion designer, Custo Barcelona. The service offers travellers the opportunity to begin their vacation before they arrive at their destination.

The onboard amenities include; a cafe-bar stocked with a variety of delicacies, audiovisual equipment for movie viewing, a baby changing station, and a duty free gift shop offering a wide selection of gifts and keepsakes.

Caribbean 360 News

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Wednesday April 18, 2012 – REDjet may be down, but don’t count it out just yet.

Following weekend reports that the cash-strapped carrier’s chief executive officer Ian Burns had met with Guyana’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Ministry of Tourism, it’s now official: REDjet’s proposal for financial assistance is on the desk of Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar and will soon be discussed by Cabinet.

While Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali declined comment on how much money the Barbadian-based airline has requested, he confirmed that their recommendations would be engaging the attention of Cabinet.

“REDjet officials made a presentation to the government of Guyana and that is now on the desk of the president and it will be brought to Cabinet … . I wouldn’t want to divulge figures, but their presentation was on an impact assessment since they came into the market and a financial viability plan,” Ali said.

“We engaged them because the fact of the matter is that REDjet has made an impact and it has created positive spinoffs for Guyana.”

Ali noted that government officials had indicated that the issue of the airline not having a valid Air Operator’s Certificate also needed a resolution. The certificate was suspended by the Barbados Civil Aviation Department following the March 16 suspension of services announcement.

This latest development comes in the wake of concerns over possible fallout should REDjet not resume service, raised by leading tourism officials including Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) chairman Richard ‘Ricky’ Skerrit and CTO president Hugh Riley, as well as British airline Virgin Atlantic.

All parties shared the view that the low-cost carrier had made a positive impact on intra-regional travel during its ten-month tenure, and the cost of travelling the Caribbean could increase again should the grounded airline not get back in the air.

Caribbean 360 News

The raft ’An-Tiki’ sets out for The Bahamas

Writer and explorer Anthony Smith last year made history by crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the raft ’An-Tiki’, travelling 2,600 miles in 66 days. Smith and his three-man crew of ‘mature and intrepid gentlemen’ arrived safely in St Maarten on 6 April 2011, proving you’re never too old to have an adventure. However, they had been blown off course from their destination, the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas.

One year on and the former BBC Tomorrow’s World presenter and science correspondent, together with a new band of senior sailors, is attempting to complete the expedition. The crew consists of two men and two women aged from 50 to 62: Husband and wife Leigh and Nigel Gallager, from Boston; Ali Porteous from Uganda; and Bruno Sellmer from Brazil. The voyage is expected to take around four to five weeks and a further 700 miles.

Eleuthera is where, in 1940, a small lifeboat called the ‘Jolly Boat’ finally landed after 70 days sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. It had been launched from a British merchant ship, the SS Anglo Saxon, after its sinking by a German vessel. By the time the boat made landfall, only two of the seven survivors were still alive. Emaciated and dehydrated, they had barely sustained themselves with long-exhausted supplies and intermittent rainfall.

In the late 1990s, Smith was instrumental in securing the Jolly Boat for the Imperial War Museum in London and wrote a book about the survivors. By arriving at the same island as they did, he hopes to pay tribute to the sacrifices of the Merchant Navy during WWII.

“There is a particular beach in the Bahamas I have in mind where two heroes of mine, two British sailors spent more time on their lifeboat than anybody else, after leaving their boat. I just want to land there,” said Smith.

The An-Tiki voyage is also raising awareness and funds for the charity WaterAid, which works with some of the world’s poorest communities to improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. One of the crew’s final tasks before setting sail was to fill five of the raft’s 18ft cross-pipes with fresh water for drinking, cooking and washing.

“Without food a man takes 60 days to die. Without water he lasts a quarter of that time. On An-Tiki we will have ample water for our needs, yet millions of people around the world are living in places without an adequate supply,” he continued.

On his 86th birthday last month, Smith was delighted to receive a motor for his raft, from the shipping company Budget Marine. The engine will help steer An-Tiki northwest against northeast winds. He aims to prove, in this next leg of the adventure, that a raft can be navigated.

An-Tiki required only minor maintenance to make it seaworthy. To make the repairs, the ten tonne structure was lifted out of Simpson Bay with the help of a Sea-Lift and St Maarten Shipyard.

“We were pleasantly surprised to find her in good shape, having withstood the ravages of sea water, weather and time very well,” he added.

The An-Tiki raft adventure began back in 2010 when Smith took out an advertisement in the Daily Telegraph. It read: “Fancy rafting across the Atlantic? Famous traveller requires 3 crew. Must be OAP. Serious adventurers only.”

An-Tiki takes its name from the famous Kon-Tiki, the raft used by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl to cross the Pacific Ocean in 1947.

Caribbean News Now